There You'll Be
by Red-Cherry-Flowers
Summary: Charley Bates remembers his friendship with the Dodger. Kinda Sad


**Hi everyone. This is a one-shot and I'm not really used to doing all this emotional stuff with these characters. I hope Dodger and Charley don't seem out of character. I apologies for that. You see, Dickens ever gave us Charley's reaction to how he felt about Dodger getting caught and transported. There was no other fan fics on the subject (not really) so I thought I would experiment. I suppose this is what I think Charley would be feeling. This isn't really a song fic, I just put the song of Faith Hill's "There You'll Be" in coz it would so suit this situation. Anyways, read and review and tell me what you think!**

Young Master Charley Bates sat at the table in Fagin's little kitchen. Truthfully it was hardly a kitchen but it would do for the little band of thieves that inhabited the place. Well, now it was _two_ thieves. Fagin had gone to visit Bill and Nancy, most likely for a job for Bill and he had asked Charley to mind the house till he returned.

_When I think back on these times  
And the dreams we left behind  
I'll be glad 'cause I was blessed to get  
To have you in my life  
_

So Charley took this opportunity to think. Just think about everything. His mind wandered to his former partner, Jack Dawkins or the Artful Dodger. Charley felt his stomach tighten at the thought of him. Out of all the ways that Artful had been caught it had been for stealing a snuffbox! At this moment Charley hated that snuffbox! He hated Dodger for taking up his dare to steal it! He hated the gentlemen for catching Dodger. He hated himself for not trying to help Dodger!

_When I look back on these days  
I'll look and see your face  
You were right there for me  
_

He would never forget the first time he meet the Artful. Nancy, who had still been at a young age and still living with Fagin, had found him one night sitting near the Three Cripples. For course this was back before she was bided to Bill and she had not the worries she had now. He was about six-years-old and Nancy with her good and kind heart (bless the girl!) had taken pity upon him and taken him back to Fagin.

He remembered the first time of walking into that room, with Nancy holding his small and dirty hand, his ragged clothes hanging off his white, dirty and bony body. His sandy brown hair messy and also dirty. Overall he had been a pill of dirty mess. He remembered the first time he saw Fagin, smiling his almost toothless leering grin and his old experienced, evil face, who had offered him bread and water, which he accepted without the slightest hesitation, of course.

_In my dreams  
I'll always see you soar  
Above the sky  
_

Only after accepting and diminishing another two pieces of bread from Fagin did he notice Dodger. The boy, who looked about the same age as him, had been sitting in a darkened corner watching him intensely, seizing him up. Fagin had said an "ahhhh, I see you have discovered one of my little apprentices."

_In my heart  
There always be a place  
For you for all my life  
_

Dodger had emerged from the corner, his blue eyes never leaving Charley's hazel ones. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Dodger seemed to be trying to read him and Charley was doing the same. To see whether each other were trustworthy enough to have secrets spilled between them, with Fagin watching them carefully, a plan running through his head.

"Do excuse the boy," Fagin had wheezed at Charley, "He is in need of some manners!"

Suddenly the boy snapped to life, "I do so have manners Fagin! I'm a regular gentleman! Aren't I Nance?"

Nancy had smiled and said, "Well introduce yourself Mr. Gentleman!"

Dodger turned back to Charley and approached him until he was stand right in front of him, his little bronze coloured face a few inches from Charley's pale one. Back then Charley had been smaller then Dodger but he was not intimating in the very least (mind you, Charley did grown an inch and a half taller then Dodger, as the Artful was reminded on a regular basis by Charley). Then suddenly, as though he had seen that Charley was to be trusted, he broke into a smile and held out his hand saying, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Jack Dawkins but around these parts I'm know as the Artful Dodger!"

_I'll keep a part  
Of you with me  
And everywhere I am  
There you'll be  
And everywhere I am  
There you'll be  
_

Since that moment of shaking hands and Charley informing the Artful Dodger of his name that had become friends. As the other inhabitant in Fagin's house had all been older then both the Dodger and Charley they had stuck with each other and Fagin, with the aid of Dodger and the other boys, had taught Charley their ways and soon Charley, who did not speak out loud so much at first become a cheerful, laughable, care-free and mischievous pickpocketer. His skills increased greatly and soon he and Dodger were bringing back more valuable items then the older boys and even Nancy.

_Well you showed me how it feels  
To feel the sky within my reach  
And I always will remember all  
The strength you gave to me  
_

Soon a silent oath was passed between the two boys. They become close as tooth and nail as Fagin put it. There relationship was simple; you hurt Dodger you hurt Charley; you hurt Charley you hurt Dodger. One day they would stick by each other like glue but then the next they couldn't get further away from the other.

Fagin had been so proud of them. So every morning the two young boys had sent off. Dodger in his musky long coat, his famous top hat in place over his dark brown hair and Charley next to him, his in navy blue coat and burgundy hat. As Nancy and the older boys moved out Dodger and Charley began to be known as "Fagin's Boys" and they were very proud to uphold their titles.

Charley would sometimes drive Dodger to the dangerous point of murder with his irritating arrogance and could make him extremely angry and there was also a rivalry as well as partnership between them. They would always try to out beat each other, although it annoyed Charley greatly how Dodger seemed to almost always win! But nevertheless there rivalry wasn't strong enough to separate their friendship.

_Your love made me make it through  
Oh, I owe so much to you  
You were right there for me  
_

Sighing Charley pushed his burgundy cap off his eyes a little and looked down at his left hand. Along his palm was a white scar line. He traced it with one of his fingers. The scar had been made with Dodger's pocket knife and Dodger had an identical scar on his right hand. Charley remembered clearly how he had received it…

They had been about nine years old. Since meeting three years previously they had become best friends, they were the brothers to each other they never had, the family they never had. One night they had decided to become blood brothers so they would always remember the other and they would always be "brothers" no matter what happened.

"Your blood," Dodger dug and sliced the skin of Charley's small palm, bloody leaked from the cut. He held in the hiss of pain that was on the tip of his lips.

"My blood," Dodger did the same to his right hand. He held up his right hand and the blood poured from his cut too. Charley clamped his left hand to Dodger's right and Dodger said, "Our blood!"

_In my dreams  
I'll always see you soar  
Above the sky  
_

Charley stared at the scar on his hand. How he wished for it to disappear. How he wished _he_ could disappear from London; to get away from the bad memories. He found no comfort in Fagin's house anymore, nor at Nancy and Bill's, nor at the Three Cripples, nor on London streets themselves. Everywhere he looked reminded him of the fun and exciting times of the old days.

Dodger's once childish voice rang in his head, "Own blood!"

_No_, though Charley, _I was never a brother. At least not when you needed me the most._

Dodger's panicked cries rang in his ears still after all these weeks, "Are you MAD? What are you waiting for? RUN! Go!"

_In my heart  
There always be a place  
For you for all my life  
_

They had decided to make up a game while out working. It was rather simple, they each dare one another to nag something or other worth of value and take it back to Fagin. Fagin would decide who had the best items and the loser would that night have to do whatever the winner wanted. He had dared Dodger to snack the snuffbox. Charley had stood a few yards from Dodger, watching if he completed the task when it had happened. The gentleman must have felt Dodger's hand or seen his reflection in the window of the shop because the gentleman caused an uproar, snacking Dodger and Charley both off guard and grabbing Dodger.

Charley watched in terror and confusion. He had never been in this situation before, should he run or help? How ever didn't have much time to think because the Dodger was struggling with all he had against the gentlemen and other civilians were coming to the gentlemen's aid regarding Dodger. Charley ran straight for the gentleman and did the most stupid thing he could have done. He threw his entire being on the man and began to hit him.

"Let him go! Leave him!" But the man simple threw Charley off and shouted, "Here's another one!"

Before anyone could grab Charley as well Dodger had yelled at him, "Are you MAD? What are you waiting for? RUN! Go!"

Charley didn't need to second telling, he sprung to his feet and ran for it, and he didn't even stop when he reached the safety of the alleyways and had clearly lose his chasers. He just kept running around and around in a million circles, as if he could not stop running, like his life depended on it.

What was he running from exactly? It was not the "good" civilian chasers or the gentlemen with the snuffbox. It was the memory of Dodger's face that would be burned into his mind for the rest of his days.

That panic, terrified look; his blue eyes wide with fear. The face of his best friend refused to leave his mind's eye so he kept running, until there was no more air in his lungs and his legs collapse under him while mid-running from exhaustion and as his head hit the stony, damp and dirty pavement he was engulfed by blackness…

_I'll keep a part  
Of you with me  
And everywhere I am  
There you'll be_

"Charley?" said a female voice; bring the boy out of his daydreams. He looked up startled and saw Nancy standing in front of him. She looked the same as ever, as if nothing in life had changed, or so he wished.

"Nancy," said Charley in surprise, "Whatcha doing 'ere? I thought Fagin was with ya?"

Nancy shook her head and placed her basket down on the table and began to undo her bonnet, "No, I dunno where Fagin is."

Charley nodded and looked away from Nancy, avoiding her eyes. He did not really want to talk to Nancy at the moment. He could feel Nancy's stare on him and he met her eyes, "What?"

Nancy continued to observe him for a moment before saying, "What's the matter Charley? You've been like this for a while!"

Charley plastered his fake smile on his face that he had been using for the past couple of weeks, "Nothin' why would something be wrong?"

Nancy raised her eyebrows, "Where is the Charley Bates I know that is always laughing and smiling."

Charley widened his smile as if to emphasize his point, "I am smiling."

Suddenly Nancy burst into laugher, "Charley I use a fake smile and laughin' almost always these days! Do ya not think I could not see me own act?"

Charley's smile faded and Nancy continued, "He's not coming back Charley. You gotta-"

"I know," snapped Charley, "do ya not think Fagin's not been through this with me?"

_'Cause I always saw in you  
My light, my strength  
_

"You miss him."

It was not a question. Charley looked away from Nancy and he heard her move and sit down in the chair next to him. He felt her hands on his shoulders and she moved him to face her. She lifted his chin to look at her. They gazed at each other for a moment before Nancy spoke, "He was your best friend and your partner. I understand it is hard on everyone but especially you. But you can not eat yourself up for it."

_And I want to thank you  
Now for all the ways  
You were right there for me_

"I can't just forget Nance," whispered Charley. He would feel the stinging of tears at the corner of his eyes, but he would not cry. Not in front of anyone, ever, not even for Dodger.

_You were right there for me  
For always_

"What do you want from me?" said Charley, glaring at the girl. He hated his emotional talk. Girls and their emotions!

Nancy looked at Charley for a moment before placing both her hands gently on the boy's face, "I would have you smile again. A real smile."

_In my dreams  
I'll always see you soar  
Above the sky_

Charley and Nancy stared at each other, the silence comforting to both. Nancy placed her forehead on Charley's and whispered, "Do not fall like me. No more despair little brother."

The she moved herself do she could hug the boy. A real hug. A mother's hug. Charley wouldn't hold them in anymore; the tears came in hot rivers down his cheeks and into Nancy's shoulder.

_In my heart  
There always be a place  
For you for all my life  
_

Charley Bates cried, silently, know the less for the first time since his he realized that his mother had left him and wasn't coming back. He finally cried for the loss of his best friend and he had to taste the bitter feeling of hurt, guilt and anger rose in him as his tears damped Nancy's shoulder and his shoulders trembled from the despair and all the other nasty emotions he had bottled up…

_I'll keep a part  
Of you with me  
And everywhere I am  
There you'll be  
And everywhere I am  
There you'll be_

Years later he was no longer Young Master Charley Bates, one of Fagin's Boys. He was just Charley Bates the farmer. After the gang had fallen apart and all the members expect for him had been killed or had faced the gallows he had left London.

The last time he had seen London was when he was thirteen-years-old. He was now twenty-three years of age and he had not been back since. Faceless people of his past were gone, buried from him just like their bodies; everyone, dead to him. They had to be, it was the only way he had survived this long.

But there was still one face he always could put a name to and no matter how much Charley had changed and decided an honest life was best, somewhere deep inside him was the still the cheerful, laughable, care-free and mischievous child pickpocketer belonging to the ever famous Fagin's gang, that he had once been along with his skilled and serious partner and brother, Jack Dawkins at his side.

Some where out there, Charley knew Dodger was alive and he silently hoped his old friend him well and happy, just like him in this new life he had chosen for himself. Every now and again he caught a glimpse of his left hand and the now faint scar on his hand. He knew that somewhere deeply buried inside him there was the good memories of his old life and because he remembered, to Charley, Dodger was somehow still alive…somehow.

_There you'll be_

**Sooooooo??? What do you think? Is Charley a little too…??? Out of character? Do you think he and Dodger weren't as close as I made them? Well I just thought that if you go through all those hard times, you would have someone that you would have with you. I know they don't seem very "tough" but I wasn't really concentration on them being in tough character. What do you think about the song? I heard it and it gave me the idea of writing this story, I think it so suits how Charley feels in this story. **


End file.
